• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Spicytamarind
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plan
  • Diets
    • Gluten-free
    • Eggless Cakes and Cookies
    • Grain-free
    • Refined Sugar-free Desserts
    • Festival Food
    • Vrat/Fasting Food
    • Vegan
  • Collection
    • Indian Pickle Recipes
    • Indian pizza recipes
    • Deepavali or Diwali recipes
    • Durga puja recipes
    • Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes
    • Holiday Season Baking
  • Ingredients
  • Basics
    • Spice blends
    • Homemade rice flour
    • Homemade Butter
    • How to make Ghee at home
    • How to make thick yogurt (curd or dahi) at home
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
go to homepage
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plan
  • Diets
  • Ingredients
  • Collection
  • Basics
  • Spice blends
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Lentils/Dal » Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)

    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)

    Published: Oct 13, 2016 · by Shilpa · Leave a Comment

    FacebookTweetPinYummly
    Jump to Recipe
    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)

    Bottle gourd dal (lau dal) step-by-step recipe with video and photos.

    Jump to:
    • About this recipe
    • Bottle gourd benefits and how to choose it
    • Ingredients to make bottle gourd dal (Bengali lau dal)
    • Bonus
    • Bottle gourd dal (Bengali lau dal) recipe video
    • Bottle gourd dal (Bengali lau dal) step-by-step recipe with photos
    • Recipe card

    About this recipe

    This humble Bengali dal is so full of flavours and easy to make. Made with split green gram or moong dal, this dish is absolute comfort food. Bottle gourd is known for its cooling effect and this dish is cooked in every household during summer.

    To make this delicious dal, I first dry roast moong dal, wash it well, and boil with some turmeric powder and salt until it is almost done. At this stage, I add the bottle gourd and let everything cook until completely done. I then prepare tempering with whole spices, ginger, and chilli in ghee. I then pour the cooked dal over the tempering, adjust the seasoning and consistency, and simmer for a few more minutes. I then finish it with some coriander leaves.

    Bottle gourd benefits and how to choose it

    Bottle gourd (also known as long melon/doodhi/lauki/sorekayi) is a vegetable that is used in a variety of Indian cooking. We grown bottle gourd in our veggie patch during summer. It has multiple health benefits, including high dietary fiber, rich in iron and vitamin B and C. It is regarded as one of the healthiest vegetables in India. Bottle gourd peel can also be used in cooking, which again is considered very healthy.

    When choosing bottle gourd, make sure the skin is smooth with no spots or blemish. The skin of a good bottle gourd will be pale or light green. The seeds of the bottle gourd are edible and are tender if the bottle gourd is tender. As the bottle gourd matures, the seeds become hard and loose their taste.

    Ingredients to make bottle gourd dal (Bengali lau dal)

    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)

    Bottle gourd: This is the main ingredient in this dish.

    Moong dal: I use moong dal (yellow lentils) to make this dish.

    Ghee: I always use ghee in making any lentil dish, like dal, sambar, rasam. I highly recommend using ghee and not replacing it with oil.

    Spices: The spices I use here are cumin seeds, dry red chilli, bay leaf, cumin powder, and turmeric powder.

    Other ingredients: I use ginger and green chilli in the tempering, and coriander leaves and lemon juice once the dal is done. I also add a very small amount of sugar. The sugar will not make this dish sweet but rather balance it really well.

    Bonus

    This dal is:
    – absolute comfort food
    – very easy to make and uses minimal spices
    – ready in no time as moong dal cooks quickly

    Serve it with hot steaming rice and sides of your choice, this dal is absolutely nutritious and satisfying. 

    For more bottle gourd recipes, click here.

    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)

    Bottle gourd dal (Bengali lau dal) recipe video

    Bottle gourd dal (Bengali lau dal) step-by-step recipe with photos

    1. Dry roast moong dal until lightly golden taking care not to burn it

    2. Wash the dal thoroughly and boil with salt and turmeric

    3. Add bottle gourd and cook everything well

    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)
    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)
    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)
    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)

    4. Prepare tempering in ghee

    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)

    5. Add it to the boiled dal and simmer

    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)

    6. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add coriander leaves

    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)
    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)

    Recipe card

    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)

    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau Dal)

    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau dal)Shilpa
    Made with split green gram or moong dal, this dish is an absolute comfort food.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Bengali, Indian
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 30 mins

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 medium bottle gourd cut into cubes
    • 1 cup moong dal
    • 2-3 green chilli chopped, or as per taste
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 dry red chilli
    • 1 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • ½ inch ginger grated
    • ½ tsp cumin powder
    • Salt to taste
    • ½ tsp sugar
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • A few coriander leaves
    • ½ lemon

    Instructions
     

    • Dry roast the yellow moong dal and wash thoroughly. Boil in a thick bottom pan along with turmeric powder, salt, and water
    • When the dal is almost cooked, add the bottle gourd. Simmer until they are completely cooked
    • To make the tempering, in a fry pan, heat ghee. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add bay leaves and dry red chilli and fry for a few seconds
    • Add the ginger, green chilli, cumin powder and continue to fry for a minute
    • Add it to the boiled dal and mix everything together
    • Check seasoning and add sugar. Adjust the consistency by adding water if needed. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes
    • Mix well and turn off the heat
    • Squeeze in the lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves and serve

    Video

    Notes

    Don’t over roast the moong dal as it will take more time to cook
    Nutrition Facts
    Bottle Gourd Dal (Bengali Lau Dal)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 104 Calories from Fat 27
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 3g5%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Cholesterol 8mg3%
    Sodium 37mg2%
    Potassium 9mg0%
    Carbohydrates 14g5%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 40IU1%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 10mg1%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @spicytamarind or tag #spicytamarind!

    FacebookTweetPinYummly
    Previous Post: « Ridge Gourd dal
    Next Post: Tomato Chutney »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Namaste. My name is Shilpa. Born and brought up in the colourful, beautiful country India, I now reside in Melbourne with my family. Read More…

    Web Stories

    Footer

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • About
    • Contact

    COPYRIGHT © 2020 SPICYTAMARIND.COM.AU

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled

    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

    Non-necessary

    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

    SAVE & ACCEPT